Area students garner essay awards

THE CAPITAL JOURNAL

Monday

Mar 28, 2011 at 9:54 AM

Two Seaman High School students and a Manhattan High School student garnered honorable mention awards in an annual contest conducted by the Bill of Rights Institute, an educational nonprofit based near Washington, D.C.

According to a news release, Connor Smith and Brenna Morgart, both juniors at Seaman High School, and Kylie Martin, a senior at Manhattan High School, earned their recognitions as part of the 5th annual "Being an American" essay contest. More than 24,000 students participated in the event.

As part of the essay contest, students were asked to share their thoughts on American citizenship by answering the following question: “What civic value do you believe is most essential to being an American?”

In his essay, Smith selected “dedication” as the civic value topic of his essay and thought George Washington Carver most embodied the American character.

“I have no excuses whether or not I succeed; it is all up to my dedication and focus,” Smith wrote.

Morgart selected “selflessness” as the civic value topic of her essay. She wrote that Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, most embodied the American character.

"Small sacrifices and selfless acts have opened my eyes to see that one does not have to do big things to make a big difference,” Morgart wrote.

"Service" was the civic value Martin selected for her essay. She said she thought Thomas Paine, founding father and author of "Common Sense," most embodied the American character.

“The concrete foundation that supports the house represents the services and sacrifices that our Founding Fathers gave for our nation, and each building block that holds the house together is each American, emulating the example of service that the Founders have set,” Martin wrote.

The contest serves as a key part of the Bill of Rights Institute’s mission to educate young people about the words and ideas of America's founders, the liberties guaranteed in founding documents, and how the founding principles continue to affect and shape a free society.

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